Aly Roald
by RougeLioness
Summary: One shot kinda maybe more? just thinking and wanted to post my thoughts... Review! :


It wasn't fair, she didn't want to love him. She was a player at heart, a flirter by nature. She was her father's daughter. She had just enough of her mother to make her someone you could love or you could hate. There was no in between. She blamed it on her mother – she had fallen for those dark blue eyes, that hair. Neither mother or daughter had fallen for them because they were royalty. She realized when she saw Alanna with Jon that no matter how much his mother loved her father, some piece of her heart would always be Jon's. And Aly knew when Roald took her hand to dance that night, that she was more like her mother then either would ever admit. When they danced she didn't pull him closer for fun – some part of her – almost every part of her wanted to be closer to him. Her father warned her not to play with a prince's heart. But it was he who played with her heart. He kissed her on the balcony – and she was the one that had to catch their breath , though he looked pretty breathless to.

"You know, I love your hair, long beautiful dark hair, you really should wear it down more." She smiled and leaned up to kiss him. They danced again before escaping quietly through the gardens. Later in the night he tangled his hand through her hair. In the morning he woke up smelling her hair, though she was no longer there. He found her in the practice courts – she was no knight but she could defiantly fight. She quickly finished up her workout then grabbed his hand and pulled him to an empty hallway and wrapped her arms around his neck. She kissed him hard and he smiled against her lips. In the years to come they would grow together – then slowly they would grow apart. But years later when they meet again she was guarding her queen. Dove and Roald bowed to each other and though her eyes were everywhere but on him she could feel his eyes on her. Dove had wanted to see Tortall and she brought her spymaster Aly – who brought a little boy and a little girl – and they both stayed at her side – little daggers on their hips. Aly had lost their father less than a year ago and as they approached Roald she couldn't help but notice the throne next to him was empty. They had a great ball that night – Aly tried to keep an eye on Dove as she was whisked away to dance with first one noble then the next. However when she saw Roald sneak out of the side door she couldn't help but follow.

"You look as beautiful as you did ten years ago." She couldn't help but smile and for the first time that night her eyes stood still resting on him – rather then scanning a crowd.

"I would say the same to you but you didn't have half as many muscles and you weren't nearly as tall ten years ago." He threw his head back and laughed – in that moment she thought he looked like his father. "How are my mother and father? I haven't talked to them nearly as much as I should – but its been so hard taking care of Liam and Nelly. You know she was named after her father – may the gods and goddesses look after him."

"They are retired – but healthy – as are your brothers, my father has taken up being by your mother's side since mother's death." She looked at him and then softly brought a hand up and brushed the side of his face. "You know I still miss her, Mother and Shinko both." Aly just nodded – she couldn't help her heart breaking for him, nor the urge to kiss him though she held back.

"I know and it doesn't get better – but somehow you find the strength to move on."

"Even now everyone else says I'm a king I can't mourn losses forever otherwise I will hold my country back- you are the first to say I can find the strength to do both." He leaned in and kissed her cheek, but she looked up at him – the same sly look she gave him the night of their first kiss. And for the first time since her husband's death she didn't compare the man she was kissing to him. They kissed then they danced and when the ball was over and Dove was safe in her room Aly went to Roald. He ran his hands through her hair – she smiled at old memories. Later that night he asked her to marry him – she could be his strength to carry on. She cried softly as she kissed him again – wishing that she could be the kind to abandon Dove and her people- she was spymaster and she couldn't give that up not even for queen. When she told him this he shook his head and told her that he fell in love with her – the one girl he could never have. She was gone by the morning. They shared stolen kisses but when the boat left she was on it – back by Dove's side.

By the time she retired – her kids had grown, her beautiful dark hair had streaks of gray and she knew only one place she wanted to go. So when she retired she retired to him – his arms would hold him. She ruled with him in till his son took over.

When she died- she died happily – for she died for him – she died with him. Maybe at some point in her life she would realize that she lived for him, he lived for her. Even when they were separated by land and oceans they still took strength from each other. It was one that kept the other living and maybe it was the goddesses will, maybe it was fate but they were meant to live for each other. Lovers separated by time, by distance, by weaknesses – but kept together by an unknown force. Maybe it was love, fate, gods, maybe it was luck.


End file.
